An Ode to Craig Ferguson, the 'Late Late Show' Host Who Was Unfairly Snubbed

I don't know about the rest of you, but I love me some Craig Ferguson. The host of The Late Late Show is one of the most charming and chuckle-rousing late night hosts out there, almost always refusing to take everything all that seriously (which we love). And we were — at least in part — a bit surprised he was so quickly dismissed in the conversation about David Letterman's successor. To be sure, Stephen Colbert is a wonderful choice (though that, too, makes us — and Vulture's Jesse David Fox — a bit sad in some respects), but this doesn't mean we should be so quick to put Ferguson into the Carson Daly pile of late night talkers. Far from it: he's a delightful host and one we thought deserved a bit of credit in the midst of all this CBS ballyhoo.

How do we love thee, CraigyFerg? Let us count the ways.

He's Improvisational

Unlike the other hosts, Ferguson's interview style is completely off-the-cuff, and more often than not lends itself to a truly interesting (if not wholly hilarious) conversation between himself and his guests. Sure it makes those old guard types — so obsessed with plugging their project and the great relationships of everyone on set — at times a bit uncomfortable, but to us there's nothing better. People are less interested in that sort of thing and far more intrigued by the guest themselves, and Ferguson's style makes most people come off as endearingly human rather than studio shills.

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He's Super Goofy

When something plays at Ferguson's funny bone (it's often those things that are ridiculous and absurd), he's not afraid to run with it. From accents to in-interview therapy, to his hosting sidekick — the skeletal Geoffrey — Ferguson isn't afraid to have a little goof-ridden fun. And we adore that about him.

He Has a Punk Rock Past

We love an aging rebel-rebel and Ferguson is exactly that. Growing up he was in a punk band called The Bastards from Hell that was later renamed "Dreamboys," and was fronted by the Twelfth Doctor himself, Peter Capaldi. How fucking cool is that?

He's a Total Nerd

And given the last tidbit, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention his love of Doctor Who. Because, well, we fucking love Doctor Who, too. And there's something so delightful about seeing that wee blue police box sitting atop his desk night after night. We like to imagine that he and Capaldi go on tiny TARDIS adventures together.

He's Impressive

In addition to being an Emmy and Peabody Award winner, Ferguson is an accomplished author, having written 2 books — one memoir and one novel — during the course of his career. Particularly wonderful, though, is his frank openness about mental health issues. A recovering alcoholic, Ferguson has been very brave and honest when discussing the time he considered committing suicide on Christmas Day 1991. That led him to refusing to mock Britney Spears during her tumultuous 2007 days — a move we seriously admired.

He Never Takes the Easy Road

That move — refusing to mock Spears — is just one example of the myriad ways Ferguson refuses to go the cheap and easy route. Which means: he seems like a really, really nice guy in addition to being hilarious. Barrel-shooting is not his fishing style and for that we are forever grateful.

He's Not Afraid to Tackle the Tough Stuff

This episode-long interview with Stephen Fry is nothing short of brilliant. Poignant, intelligent, and seriously attention-grabbing (who else does an hour-long discussion on religion and humanity and the like?), this video is a serious must-watch:

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So here's to you, Craig Ferguson — you might not be the host of The Late Show but you're the late night host of our hearts (for realsies). You're great: never change!